NFS Form 10-900 OMB No. 10024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) ._..-.... . ~-.~. < , ! ' - " : ' :'' . \ ,\ United States Department Of The Interior • \ National Park Service ; ; ,,,.__ I National Register Of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items.
1. Name of Property
historic name
other names/site number Westville Village Historic District
2. Location
street & number See continuation sheet, Item #7 not for publication NA
city or town New Haven______vicinity ______NA
state Connecticut code CT county New Haven code 009 zip code 06515
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this_x__nomination __ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property __x_ meets __ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this properjyJje^jnsidered significant^^jattonally _x>4!^Statewide __ locally. (__ See continuation sheet for additional comments.)
12/06/02 iaJtffe of certi Date
X*^ John W. Shannahan. Director. Connecticut Historical Commission State or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion, the property meets __ does not meet the National Register criteria. (__ See continuation sheet for additional comments)
Signature of certifying official/title Date
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereoy certify that this property is:
V entered in the National Register See continuation sheet.
_ determined eligible for the National Register _ See continuation sheet.
_ determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
other (explain): ______Westville Village Historic District New Haven. CT Name of Property______County and State 5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property (Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) x_private ___ building(s) __ public-local x___ district __ public-State ___ site __ public-Federal ___ structure ___ object
Number of Resources within Property Number of contributing resources previously listed (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) in the National Register
Contributing Noncontributing 30______buildings sites structures objects 30 __ Total
Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.) N/A
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/Single/multiple/Dwelling/Hotel INDUSTRY/Manufacturing facility/Processing site OTHER/Masonic Temple
Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) DOMESTIC/Single/multiple/dwelling COMMERCE/Trade/professional/Restaurant/specialty store/Office building INDUSTRY/Manufacturing facility
7. Description______Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions)
Early Republic/Federal______Mid 19 th Century/Greek Revival______Late Victorian/Italianate. Queen Anne______Late 19 th and early 20 th C. revivals/Classical Revival, Tudor Revival
Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation Brick, Stone, Concrete roof Clay tile. Asphalt shingle walls Wood, Stone, Brick______other ______
Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 1
Description
The Westville Village Historic District in New Haven, Connecticut encompasses a small but densely developed commercial area that continues to reflect the area's history as the commercial locus of Westville. The district runs 2/10 of a mile along a length of Whalley Avenue, which runs generally north-south. The district includes a portion of Blake Street, which runs perpendicular to Whalley Avenue, as well as Tour and West Rock Avenues, which form a horseshoe-shaped side street on the southerly end (see figure 1., attached district map). As the name implies, Westville lies in the western portion of New Haven, connected to the center of the city by Whalley Avenue. Although Whalley Avenue is now one of the main arteries out of New Haven to points west, for most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it was used mainly as a common access road connecting the large holdings of the early land owners. Originally, the road to Westville and beyond was Blake Street. However when the Litchfield Turnpike was chartered in 1797, a bridge was built across the West River allowing access to Whalley Avenue and a more direct route out of town.
The district includes thirty-four resources (buildings) of which thirty are contributing. Although the area began to develop as early as the seventeenth century, most of the buildings constructed in the village prior to the mid-nineteenth century are no longer standing. The extant buildings date mainly from the 1880s to the mid-twentieth century. Exceptions are a late-eighteenth century single-family Colonial house and two c. 1850 Greek Revival houses.
The district is mainly commercial in nature, reflected in a variety of building types, including multi- and single-family dwellings with lower- level storefronts, commercial blocks, and industrial complexes. There is also a former hotel and two fraternal order meeting halls. The Tour and West Rock Avenue side street, which was laid out in the early twentieth century, retains much of its original residential character.
The dense fabric of Whalley Avenue includes mostly late-nineteenth century houses built for a combination of dwelling and commercial space, and early-twentieth century one- and two-part commercial blocks. All are currently used by commercial activities. The few extant houses built prior to the mid-nineteenth century were originally single-family dwellings which served a different use at the early part of the twentieth NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 2 century as the lower stories were converted for commercial use with storefront alterations. These early twentieth-century storefront conversions were in response to the needs of the growing outlying residential area.
The oldest historic resource in the district is 914-918 Whalley Avenue, a c.1795 2 1/2-story frame house with its roof ridge parallel to the street. The roof has a boxed cornice with returns and projecting eaves. The building has a central hall plan with end chimney and clapboard siding. Windows have plain surrounds and sash. Originally built as a single- family dwelling, the house is intact, although the lower story is obscured by a storefront originally added in the early twentieth century, with later modifications (Inventory #32; Photograph #1) .
859-61 Whalley Avenue is a c. 1845 Greek Revival House that was moved to its parcel in 1905. Originally two stories, the house was placed on a raised brick foundation to add an extra story of living space (Inventory #17; Photograph #2).
The other houses on Whalley Avenue are narrow, frame, Queen Anne-style structures with gable ends oriented to the street. Queen Anne elements include steeply pitched roofs, imbricated shingling in the gables, and decorative bargeboards. As noted before, many were built originally for a combination of commercial and residential use. For example, 904-906 Whalley Avenue was built for Frederick Roth in 1880 specifically as a shoe store and his residence (Inventory #30; Photograph #3).
In addition to commercial/residential buildings, there are buildings that were constructed solely for commercial purposes. One- and two-part commercial blocks were constructed beginning in the early twentieth century through the mid century. Number 900-902 Whalley Avenue is a 2- story frame commercial block with a flat roof. Built c. 1910, it housed a tailor shop. The storefront received alterations up through the early 1980s (Inventory #28; Photograph #4). Number 898 Whalley Avenue was built in 1948 and was a retail store before being converted for restaurant use in the early 1970s (Inventory #27; Photograph #5).
Several buildings on Whalley Avenue stand out because of their architectural merit or unique use. In 1926, the Westville Masonic Temple Association, Inc. built a Masonic Temple at 949,Whalley Avenue. The 2- NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 3 story brick Classical Revival style building has a flat roof and symmetrical fagade plan. On the second-story fagade, vertical windows are recessed behind a colonnade of fluted Doric columns supporting the center section of the entablature. There is a stone belt course between the first and second stories and the double-door entry has Egyptian-style post and lintel surrounds (Inventory #34; Photograph #6). The building is sited on a steep bank at the uppermost rise of Whalley Avenue and is a prominent visual presence in the district.
Another Classical Revival building is the Masonic Meeting Hall built in 1912 at 903-911 Whalley Avenue for the Olive Branch Temple Corporation. Number 903-911 Whalley is a 2-story brick masonry building with a shed roof. An entablature extending the width of the fagade has a brick parapet. A central pavilion features a stone plaque with Masonic symbols in the pediment as well as a colonnade. The first floor has a simple pediment form above the central entranceway and plain brick pilasters dividing window openings. There is a beveled corner entrance (Inventory #29; Photographs #7,8).
The Hotel Edgewood was built at 882-888 Whalley in 1913. A 2-story frame Classical Revival building, it has a boxed, denticulated cornice with egg & dart molding below the frieze. It is a large and sprawling building with flat surfaces broken by two sets of bay windows on the east side. A simple band molding separates the first and second stories. The building is now a restaurant (Inventory #23; Photograph #9).
The Alfred Minor building anchors the district on the southerly end at 831-35 Whalley Avenue. The 3-story Classical Revival brick building was built c. 1906. The flat roof has a denticulated cornice and modillions. A molding runs above the first-floor windows. Windows on the second and third floor have segmental arch openings with flat radiating voussoirs and stone sills (Inventory #13; Photograph #10).
Two early twentieth-century factory complexes stand on Blake Street. Since the late eighteenth century, the parcel at 495 Blake Street has continuously been the site of various mills and factories. The Geometric Tool Company purchased the land and buildings left behind by the Diamond Match Company in the early twentieth century, and erected the structures that now stand there. The main building is a two-story Colonial Revival- influenced masonry industrial structure. The fagade of the main block NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 4 incorporates a denticulated stringcourse and segmental window headers. The west side of the complex has a long, two-story brick-masonry wing (Inventory #2; Photographs #11).
The Greist Manufacturing Company formerly occupied the industrial complex across the street from the former Geometric Tool Company, at 446 Blake Street. This complex of early twentieth-century industrial structures was built between 1906 and 1948. The Colonial Revival main industrial building is a 2-story, brick structure with a flat roof, segmental and semicircular window headers and door openings, and a projecting cornice with modillions (Inventory #1; Photograph #12). Other later twentieth-century wings have been added to the east elevations.
The only other contributing resource on Blake Street is a well-preserved Greek Revival house, built c. 1840. Elegant in scale, a distinguishing feature is an anthemion pattern on the corner boards (Inventory #5; Photograph #13).
Tour Avenue and West Rock Avenue were laid out near the beginning of the twentieth century. Most of the structures on this street are simple double-decker houses with Queen Anne-style influences, including steeply pitched roofs, bay windows, and cross gables (Photographs #14,15). For the most part, these streets retain the original residential character of the early twentieth century. Number 426 West Rock Avenue is a Tudor-style single-family home built in 1928 (Inventory #12; Photograph #16). The house is a distinctive departure from the other residential dwellings on the street. However, though modest in scale, it is a representative example of the style of development that occurred in residential Westville during the early part of the twentieth century.
The only modern intrusion in the district is a 1974 bank building on Whalley Avenue. The only other non-contributing resource is a circa 1880 dwelling on Whalley Avenue that has been developed to such a degree that not enough of the original building is discernable to retain its architectural integrity. The overall scale and character of the district is much the same today as it was during its period of significance (1850- 1950). Development is dense; buildings use up most of the narrow parcels and are separated from the street by a narrow sidewalk (Photograph #17). Early twentieth-century storefronts have received subsequent alterations through the mid-twentieth century (Photograph #1). Many of the buildings NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 5 have been sided with vinyl or aluminum. However, the buildings retain their basic form and character and, as a whole, present a good tangible reflection of the area's historic development pattern from the late- nineteenth to mid-twentieth century.
A full list of all the contributing and non-contributing resources in the district follows. NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 6
Inventory of Contributing and Non-Contributing Resources Dates of construction taken from the Historic Resources Inventory are so annotated with the initials HRI. Dates followed by a "v" were determined by visual field observation. All other dates of construction were determined by land record research.
Inv. Address C/NC DATE NAME/DESCRIPTION # BLAKE STREET
1. 446 1906-1948 HRI Greist Manufacturing Company. Brick masonry, 2-story, Colonial Revival industrial building with flat roof, segmental and semicircular window headers, and door openings, and a projecting cornice with modillions. Colonial Revival style influence in the door surrounds. Main office structure was built in 1906 with additions in 1909 and other wings added to the east elevations during the World War II era. Photograph #12.
495 1906-1912 HRI Geometric Tool Company. Two-story Colonial Revival-influenced masonry industrial structure. Facade of the main block incorporates a denticulated cornice and segmental window headers. Entry porch is a late 20 th c. addition. Windows on east and west elevations of the main block have cut-stone sills. Photograph #11.
500 NC c. 1885v 2-story frame (vinyl) commercial structure with flat roof. Not enough of original building is discernable.
508 NC 1962 2-story, concrete block with masonry veneer on fagade) flat-roofed commercial block.
512 c. 1840 HRI 2 1/2-story, 3-bay, frame, Greek Revival house with full facade gable pediment. Corner pilasters are embellished with an anthemion pattern. Fluted columns on entry porch support a full entablature with projecting cornice embellished by dentils. Photograph #13. NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 7
TOUR AVENUE
12-14 vacant lot
6. 15-17 C c. 1905 2 1/2-story, 3-bay Italianate frame (aluminum) dwelling with pitched roof. Full facade enclosed porch with pedimented entry.
21 parking lot
7. 23-25 C c. 1905 2 1/2-story, 3-bay, frame (aluminum) Queen Anne dwelling with steeply-pitched roof and right bowed bay on first two stories. Attic has double window.
29 parking lot
WEST ROCK AVENUE
8. 413 C c. 1905 2 1/2-story, 3-bay Queen Anne frame (aluminum) dwelling with low-pitched roof
9. 416-418 C c. 1905 2 1/2-story 2-bay Queen Anne frame (aluminum) dwelling with steeply-pitched roof with cross gables. Covered entry has squared posts supporting second-story balcony.
10. 417 C c.1923 2-story brick equipment shed built for the United Illuminating Company. Still owned by UI.
11. 420-422 C 1905 2 1/2-story, 2-bay Queen Anne frame (aluminum) dwelling with steeply-pitched roof and left bowed bay. Covered entry has Colonial Revival second-story balcony.
12. 426 1928 2-story with attic, Tudor Revival house with wood shingle siding. Steeply-pitched cross gable on fagade has decorative half- timbering. Photograph #16.
WHALLEY AVENUE
13. 831-35 C 1906-07 HRI 3-story Classical Revival brick masonry building with a flat roof with denticulated cornice. Southeast corner is beveled. Entablature molding runs above the first floor NFS Form 10-900-a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 8
windows. Windows on the second and third floors have segmental arch openings with flat radiating voussoirs, stone sills and 1/1 sash. Main entry has a stone entrance with cornice and pilasters with carved capitals. Photograph #10.
14. 837-39 1905 HRI 2 1/2-story, 3-bay frame (vinyl) Stick Style house with front-gable roof. Gable has double window with imbricated shingles (vinyl) above. Single-door entry has a gabled door hood supported by plain braces. One-story flat roof storefront added to the first floor fagade and east side of the house, One-story masonry addition to the rear of the house.
15 843 c. 1920 v 1-part brick masonry enframed commercial block with flat roof. Storefront fagade has plate-glass windows. Later concrete block addition.
16 845-847 1905 HRI 2 1/2-story Queen Anne frame (clapboard on sides, vinyl on fagade) front-gable house with storefront bay on first story. Projecting eaves have bargeboards encased in aluminum siding.
17 859-61 c. 1845 HRI 3-story with attic frame (aluminum) Greek Revival house. First story has plate-glass storefront bay with molded panels. Gable window is rectangular with decorative muntins. A Paladian arch was added during the last 15 years. Side entrance on the east facilitates access to the upper stories. Photograph #2.
18 865 c. 1885 v 2-story with attic 2-bay Queen Anne frame (vinyl) house with steeply pitched roof with bracketed eaves. Large east-side pavilion with cross gable has entry porch with turned-post balustrade.
19 867 c. 1940 2-part, stucco-over-concrete commercial block with flat roof. Two storefront bays have plate-glass windows. NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 9
20. 873-75 C 1925 One-story, brick masonry commercial block with enframed storefront and flat roof. Facade has aluminum veneer.
21. 879 C c. 1885 v 2 1/2-story 3-bay Queen Anne frame (vinyl) house with storefront entry. Brick masonry foundation. Steeply pitched roof has bracketed eaves. Gable has double window. 22. 881 C c. 1880 v 2 1/2-story, 3-bay, Queen Anne frame house with two-story store front and pitched, front- gable roof. Masonry is covered with stucco. Second story has plate-glass windows in squared arch openings and a scroll-sawn balustrade.
23. 882-888 C 1913 HRI 2-story frame Classical Revival commercial building with wood shingle siding and a flat roof. Boxed, denticulated cornice with egg & dart molding below the frieze. Flat surfaces are broken by two sets of bay windows on the east side. Windows have 1/1 sash, plain sills and cornice moldings. First and second stories are divided by a band of molding. Photograph #9.
24. 883-889 C 1950 1-story clapboard "strip" shopping mall.
25. 893-901 C 1926 Arcaded brick masonry commercial block with low-pitched roof. Roof ridge is parallel to street with half-round clay tile shingles.
26. 894 NC 1974 1-story brick masonry commercial building.
27. 898 C 1948 1-story concrete commercial block with recessed storefront. Photograph #5.
28. 900-902 c.1910 v 2-story wood frame commercial block with flat roof. Later storefront added. Photograph #4.
29. 903-911 C 1912-1913 HRI 2-story polychromatic brick masonry Classical Revival commercial building with shed roof and brick parapet. Entablature extends the width of the fagade. Central pavilion has pediment containing a stone plaque with symbols of Masonic order and second-story colonnade. Plain brick pilasters divide window openings along first NFS Form 10-900-a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 7 Page 10
story. Simple pediment form is above main entranceway. There is also a beveled entry on the corner of the building. Photograph #7,8.
30. 904-06 C c. 1880 HRI 3-story with attic, wood clapboard Queen Anne house with front-gable roof. Boxed pedimented cornice has imbricated shingles. Gable has four square windows with twenty panes each. First story projecting storefront has shed roof. Photograph #3.
31. 908-912 NC c. 1880 1-story frame (vinyl) side-gable house with store front. Not enough of original structure discernable.
32. 914-918 C c. 1795 HRI 2-story with attic, frame (clapboards), central-hall plan Federal house with roof ridge parallel to the street. Windows are 6/6 with plain surrounds and sash. Lower story is totally obscured by added storefront, but house remains intact behind. Photograph #1.
33 920 1877-78 HRI 2-story with attic, Queen Anne house with front-gable roof and clapboard siding. Overhanging eaves have decorative bargeboards and corner brackets. Gable has scroll-sawn gable screen and imbricated wood shingles. First story has storefront.
927 parking lot
34 949 1926 HRI Westville Masonic Temple. 2-story brick Classical Revival style building with flat roof and symmetrical fagade plan. Stone entablature has triglyphs and stone-stepped parapet. On the second story facade, vertical windows are recessed behind a colonnade of fluted Doric columns supporting the center section of the entablature. Stone belt course between the first and second stories. Double-door entry has Egyptian-style posts. Photograph #6. Westville Village Historic District New Haven, CT Name of Property County and State
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions) for National Register listing) COMMERCE______x_A Property is associated with events that have INDUSTRY made a significant contribution to the broad INVENTION patterns of our history. ARCHITECTURE B Property is associated with the lives of Period of Significance persons significant in our past. 1850-1950 x_C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable Significant Dates entity whose components lack individual N/A distinction.
D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, Significant Person information important in prehistory or history. (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) N/A ____ Criteria Considerations (Mark "X" in all the boxes that apply.) Cultural Affiliation Property is: N/A______A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes.
B removed from its original location. Architect/Builder See Item #8 C a birthplace or a grave.
D a cemetery.
E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.
F a commemorative property.
G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years
Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 1
Statement of Significance
The Westville Village Historic District is historically significant for its contribution to New Haven's growth as a major industrial center from the second half of the nineteenth through the mid-twentieth century. In contrast to the light manufacturing and mercantile concerns located in downtown New Haven during this time, Westville was home to larger industrial factories which took advantage of the open space and waterpower from the three major water arteries: Wintergreen Brook, the West River, and Beaver Creek. As New Haven participated in the industrialization that transformed Connecticut in the second half of the nineteenth century, industries located in the Westville Village Historic District made unique contributions that served to distinguish New Haven as a provider of industrial innovations to the nation.
Architecturally, the district is significant because its buildings provide a tangible reflection of the area's historic development from an early mill village to a small but active industrial and commercial center. Although the buildings have evolved in use, the extant architecture provides a clear visual representation of how the district looked during its period of significance.
Historical Background and Significance
Although land in Westville was opened to private ownership within a few years of the initial settlement of New Haven, the area was largely unsettled and undeveloped until the late seventeenth century. Whalley Avenue, now one of the main arteries out of New Haven to points west, was for most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries used mainly as a common access road connecting the large holdings of the early land owners. Originally named the "West Field," and then Hotchkisstown after one of the original settlers, Westville remained a separate entity from New Haven until its annexation in 1872.
Early inhabitants of Westville sought to utilize the waterpower provided by the area's three major water arteries. John Sackett erected the first mill in 1696. During the eighteenth century other small mills appeared, including two gunpowder mills that became the target of British attack in 1779. As downtown New Haven began to increase its commercial and shipping activities after the Revolutionary War, Westville began to make a NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 2 transition to a modern industrial age as it expanded its milling activities. A number of new firms emerged and constructed larger mills for the purpose of producing goods for greater consumption. David Dixon and William Mclntosh erected a large mill building along the West River for the production of woolen and cotton cloth. After this mill closed in the early nineteenth century, J.K. Herrick and Joseph Parker established a paper manufacturing company on the site. The company pioneered the manufacture of blotting paper.
Also during this period David Bunce purchased a sawmill and converted it for the production of book paper. According to 1820 census data, in contrast to other smaller mills in the village which were making coarse paper, Bunce's mill was producing a more refined product for bookmaking. This mill stood at what is now 495 Blake Street.
Although none of these early mills is extant (the remains of the Dixon/Mclntosh and Parker mills lie just outside the district), they represent a transition to the more modern industrial complexes of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century.
Tied to both the development of these early mills and continuing expansion of industry was a steady population growth. The district began to take on its current appearance during the late nineteenth century, a period that would prove to be the height of the growth of the village as the district's principal population and industrial-commercial locus. The horse-drawn trolley system connected Westville with the central city in 1861, allowing it to grow to a greater degree, and during the late 1860s, Whalley Avenue (then Main Street) began to make a transition from a predominantly (albeit sparsely) residential area to a more commercial core. Small businesses and trade shops, including a dry goods store and a tinsmith shop, began to appear. On the site of the David Bunce paper mill now stood Beecher and Sons, manufacturers of matches and fruit baskets. The company became the largest producer of sulfur matches in the country between 1856 and 1866 and invented the first machine for dipping matches.
As the district began to develop during the 1870s, new construction served a dual purpose, as dwellings along Whalley Avenue were built for a combination of residential and commercial purposes. In 1877, John J. Ailing built his residence on Whalley Avenue both as a home and a drug NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 3
store. Frederick Roth's home was constructed in 1880 to accommodate a shoe store on the lower level.
Beecher and Sons had gone through several mergers with its competitors, finally emerging as the Swift, Courtney and Beecher Company. In 1880, the company incorporated under the name of the Diamond Match Company and moved operations to Chicago. The company left behind an empty factory complex. Previous efforts to bring more industry to Westville had been discouraged by the lack of good shipping facilities. However, in the late nineteenth century, with the introduction of the electric trolley, more opportunities began to open up. The Geometric Tool Company began leasing the facilities left by Diamond Match in the early 1890s. That company later purchased the site and erected new structures in the early twentieth century. The Geometric Tool Company produced the Automatic Self-Opening Die Head, a patented device that aided in the mass production of threaded metal parts. The company remained in operation on that site until the 1980s. The buildings underwent adaptive reuse in the 1980s and the complex is now the Blake Street Center, a commercial office park.
The Greist brothers briefly owned a bicycle shop in downtown New Haven before forming the Greist Manufacturing Company in 1894, with Ebenezer Beecher as the company's first president. The company set up shop across the street from Geometric Tool and manufactured sewing machine attachments and "other mechanical specialties." Early in the twentieth century, the company built a complex of industrial structures that are still standing and now are occupied by the New Haven Manufacturing Company.
The expansion of the Geometric Tool and Greist Manufacturing companies prompted the laying out of Tour and West Rock Avenues. Garrett Fitzgerald, who subdivided the property, acquired the land within the horseshoe-shaped side street early in the century. Tour Avenue was for a brief time named "Greist Avenue," presumably because the road led to the large parcel of land on which the factory stood. West Rock was named Tryon Avenue until the 1930s. It was actually an extension of the portion of Tryon Avenue that lay on the other side of Whalley Avenue. The houses built on this side street were multiple-family dwellings that housed employees who worked at the nearby Greist and Geometric Tool companies or in businesses on Whalley Avenue. Garrett also owned the parcels along Whalley Avenue between Tour and West Rock. The houses built there were initially single-family residences. NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 4
The introduction of the electric trolley also sparked a surge in the residential development in the rural area outside the district in the early twentieth century. In response to this growth, new enterprises providing for a variety of services and amenities appeared along Whalley Avenue, including grocers, tailors, barbers, butchers, delicatessens, and a cigar shop.
Commercial development continued along Whalley Avenue until well into the 1920s, and later, as the nation emerged from the Depression of the 1930s, the Greist Manufacturing Company and Geometric Tool companies contributed to reviving the city's industrial life.
The Westville Village Historic District continues to reflect its history as a compact but significant commercial center. The former industrial complexes are still intact and in context, situated on their large land parcels. With very little modern infill along Whalley Avenue, and a rich history of adaptive reuse, the district retains the scale and character of its period of significance.
Architectural Significance
The district is architecturally significant as a well-preserved village center that, through its buildings, continues to present the story of the area's development as a commercial/manufacturing center. The scale and density of the commercial and residential architecture is representative of the original layout of the village. The major industrial complexes are still sited on large parcels of land. The village was a sought-out destination for enterprise around which a residential village with supportive services developed. This is in contrast to other outlying commercial districts in the city, which grew in order to accommodate a burgeoning inner city population.
Building Types
The district is mainly commercial in nature and the dominant building type in the district is the simple frame house. The adaptation for commercial use of the houses on Whalley Avenue not only reflects the development of the district from a small residential village to a commercial district, NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 5
but also is representative of general patterns of style and development in New Haven during this period.
A staple of the Whalley Avenue commercial streetscape is the narrow, frame Queen Anne or Italianate house with its gable end to the street. By mid- nineteenth century, as was happening in other pockets of commercial development in New Haven, these houses began appearing on Whalley Avenue as commercial blocks. These were houses built specifically to combine ground-floor commercial space with living quarters on the upper levels. For example, 904-906 Whalley Avenue was built for Frederick Roth in 1880 specifically as a shoe store and his residence (Inventory #30; Photograph #3) .
Meanwhile, earlier houses, such as 914-918 Whalley Avenue (1795), which were built strictly as single-family residences began to serve a different use at the early part of the twentieth century; lower stories were converted for commercial use with storefront alterations. These early twentieth-century storefront conversions were in response to the consumer needs of the growing outlying residential area.
One- and two-part commercial blocks, constructed solely for commercial purposes also began appearing on Whalley Avenue at the beginning of the twentieth century. Number 900-902 Whalley Avenue is a 2-story frame commercial block with a flat roof. Built c. 1910, it originally housed a tailor shop. Number 898 Whalley Avenue was built in 1948 and was a retail store before being converted for restaurant use in the early 1970s (Inventory #27; Photograph #5). Buildings such as these were part of an emerging pattern in New Haven at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the idea of separating uses (commercial from residential), both in zoning and in building design, began to take hold.
The industrial complexes at 495 and 446 Blake Street, which retain not only integrity of structure, but also context, are both good examples of modest industrial complexes of the early twentieth century.
In addition to representative building types, several buildings in the district are well-preserved examples of a particular architectural style and/or are associated with a significant architect of the time. New Haven at the turn of the twentieth century was about to enter its last big development boom before World Wars and the Great Depression would severely NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 6 limit building activity. Residential development began to spread west of the city center, and the planned development of Beaver Hills was followed by a surge of building in Westville just south of the district.
All of this had an effect on the district as more impressive buildings began to appear on Whalley Avenue. The Masonic Temples at 949 and 903-911 Whalley Avenue, and the Alfred Minor building with its elegant fagade, were among the buildings that brought new character and distinction to the district in the early twentieth century. The Classical Revival style is well represented by these buildings.
The Westville Masonic Temple Association commissioned R. W. Foote to design a Masonic lodge in 1926. It is the most prominent example of Classical Revival style of architecture in the Westville area (Photograph #6) . R. W. Foote was an acknowledged leader among New Haven architects of the time. In addition to elaborate private homes around the city, he also designed the building at 124 Temple St. for the United Illuminating Company, in 1909, and the Powell Building (1921) on Church Street on the Green, now demolished.
512 Blake Street (1840) is a refined and well-proportioned example of a Greek Revival house. An unusual element is the Greek honeysuckle pattern on the corner boards (Photograph #13).
Situated beside a pair of identical houses that were built speculatively is 426 West Rock Avenue (1928), a modest example of the Tudor Revival style. Built during the same period of development as the outlying residential area of Westville, its style is a distinct departure from the other residential architecture in the district. The outlying area of Westville began to develop in the first quarter of the early twentieth century with a number of larger scale homes built in the popular styles of the period. Though moderate in comparison, the house still exhibits the distinguishing features of the style, including a steeply pitched cross gable on the fagade and decorative half-timbering (Photograph #16).
Many of the buildings in the district have been subject to alterations and re-siding over the years. However, the architectural integrity of the structures has not been compromised. In fact, it is because of this constant reuse that the district has maintained the commercial vitality NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section 8 Page 7 that contributes to its significance. As such the buildings continue to represent the area's historic development. Westville Village Historic District. New Haven New Haven, CT Name of Property County and State
9. Major Bibliographical References______
Bibliography (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.)
Previous documentation on file (NPS) __ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested. __ previously listed in the National Register __ previously determined eligible by the National Register __ designated a National Historic Landmark __ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # ______recorded by Historic American Engineering Record #
Primary Location of Additional Data __ State Historic Preservation Office __ Other State agency __ Federal agency __ Local government __ University __ Other Name of repository: ______
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property _22
UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet)
Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 1 ______3 ______2 4 _x_ See continuation sheet.
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)
11. Form Prepared By name/title Mary Dunne, Preservation Services Officer organization New Haven Preservation Trust___date 5/9/02 street & number 934 State St. telephone (203) 562-5919 city or town New Haven, state CT zip code 06507
Additional Documentation Submit the fallowing items with the completeororm:
Continuation Sheets
Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven. CT Name of Property County and State
Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)
Property Owner
(Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name _Multiple______street & number______telephone, city or town______zip code ______NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT Section 9/10 Page 1
9. Major Bibliographic References
"Ancient New Haven Town Records," Vols. II,III. MS. On file at the New Haven Colony Historical Society.
Atwater, Edward E., ed. History of the City of New Haven. New York: W.W. Munsell and Company, 1887.
Brown, Elizabeth Mills. New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.
The Industrial Advantages of the City of New Haven. New Haven; The New Haven Chamber of Commerce, 1889.
Loether, Paul and Dorothea Penar. New Haven Historic Resources Inventory, Phase IV: Western New Haven. New Haven: The New Haven Preservation Trust, 1984.
Longstreth, Richard. The Buildings of Main Street, A Guide to American Commercial Architecture. Updated edition. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press, 2000.
"New Haven Building Department Records, 1906-Present." MS. On file at the New Haven Building Department Office.
New Haven City Directories, 1840-Present. On file at the New Haven Colony Historical Society and the New Haven Town Clerk's Office.
"New Haven Land Records, 1730-Present." On file at the New Haven Town Clerk's Office.
Osterweis, Rollin G. Three Centuries of New Haven. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953.
"Records of 1820 Census." Mfilm #153. On file at New Haven Colony Historical Society.
Roth, Mathew. Connecticut: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites. Washington, DC: Society for Industrial Archaeology, 1981.
Maps and Atlases
Atlas of New Haven, Connecticut Compiled by Streuli and Puckhafer. Bridgeport, CT: Streuli and Puckhafer, 1911.
Beer, Frederick W. Map of the City of New Haven and Fair Haven from Actual Surveys. New York: Beers, Hellis and Soule, 1869.
Harley and Whiteford. Map of the City of New Haven from Actual Surveys. Philadelphia: Collins and Clark, 1851. NFS Form 10-900-a OMBNo. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET
Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT Section 9/10 Page 2
UTM References
Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 1. 18. 670630 4577160 2. 18_ 617040 4576960 3. 18_ 670840 4576710 4. 1.8_ 670620 4576880 5. 18_ 670620 4576950
Verbal Boundary Description
The district is bounded according to the attached district map provided by the New Haven City Plan Department. The map is outlined to encompass: the easterly property line of 831-835 Whalley Avenue in the east; the northeast property line of 446 Blake Street in the north; the northwest property line of 495 Blake Street to the west; and the rear property lines of 882-888 through 920 Whalley Avenue to the south.
Boundary Justification
The boundary is drawn to encompass the most visually logical concentration of the historical development of Westville village as it evolved from an area of scattered mills to a locus of residential and commercial activity in response to developing industrial enterprises. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Westville Village Historic District New Haven, New Haven County, CT USGS: Naugatuck Quad
1. 18 670630 4577160 2. 18 617040 4576960 1 3. 18 670840 4576710 1 4. 18 670620 4576880 5. 18 670620 4576950 Fig.l District Map Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Scale: 1 in. =167 feet NFS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)
United States Department of the Interior National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Westville Village Historic District, New Haven New Haven County, CT
Section Photo Page 1
List of Photographs
Photographer: Mary Dunne, New Haven Preservation Trust
Date 1/01 Negatives on File: Connecticut Historical Commission
1. 914-918 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NW 2. 859-861 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NE 3. 904-906 Whalley Avenue, camera facing SW 4. 900-902 Whalley Avenue, camera facing south 5. 898 Whalley Avenue, camera facing SW 6. 949 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NE 7. 903-911 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NE 8. 903-911 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NW 9. 882-888 Whalley Avenue, camera facing SW 10. 831-835 Whalley Avenue, camera facing NE 11. 495 Blake Street, camera facing NE 12. 446 Blake Street, camera facing NE 13. 512 Blake Street, camera facing NE 14. Streetscape: West Rock Avenue, camera facing NE 15. Streetscape: Tour Avenue, camera facing NE 16. 426 West Rock Avenue, camera facing SW 17. Streetscape: Whalley Avenue, camera facing NW